Public Notice of Availability
Federal Aviation Administration
Environmental Assessment
for Joseph State Airport Obstruction Removal Project
Joseph, Oregon
To: All Interested Agencies, Groups, and Individuals
Oregon Department of Aviation (ODAV), in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has completed a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Joseph State Airport Obstruction Removal Project in Joseph, Oregon. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 the Draft EA has been prepared to disclose the potential economic, social, and environmental impacts of the proposed project. The Draft EA is being circulated for review and comment from the public and federal, state, and local agencies.
The purpose of the project is to bring the Joseph State Airport into compliance with current FAA design standards and meet the objectives of the Airport Master Plan, as well as maintaining a safe operating environment for current and future users of the airport. One key objective of the master plan is to establish a nighttime instrument approach procedure so that the airport can serve critical air functions such as medical evacuations during inclement weather and at night. There are nine trees and one power pole that create obstructions to the 20:1 glide slope, thus limiting airport operations to daytime conditions only, and restricting MEDEVAC access at night. Of the identified obstructions, one tree and the power pole are located on airport property, and eight obstruction trees are located on adjacent private property. The project proposes to cut the nine trees and add a light to the top of the power pole.
The Draft EA will be available for public review and comment beginning on 9/28/2024. A copy of the Draft EA may be viewed at the following location:
Joseph Public Library
201 N Main Street
Joseph, Oregon 97846
The Draft EA is also available online at https://www.oregon.gov/aviation. Written comments on the Draft EA may be provided to:
Adam Merrill, Environmental Protection Specialist (Oregon)
Federal Aviation Administration
Seattle Airports District Office
2200 S. 216th Street
Des Moines, WA 98198
adam.w.merrill@faa.gov
Public comment on the Draft EA is invited for a 30-day period extending from 9/28/2024 to 10/28/2024. All comments on the Draft EA must be received by the FAA no later than 5:00pm on 10/28/2024 to be considered.
Please make your comments as specific as possible as they relate to the proposed action, and include your name, address, and if possible, telephone number and email address. Any comments sent by email should reference “Joseph Airport EA Public Comment" in the subject line. Comments from the federal, state, and local agencies and the public will be considered part of the Final EA. Substantive comments will be addressed as appropriate in the final documents. If no substantive comments are received by this deadline, the EA and associated Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will become final and be published by FAA.
Please be advised that your entire comment, including such personal identifying information as address, phone number, and e-mail address, may be publicly available at any time. While you can ask in your comment to withhold from public review any personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Joseph State Airport EA _Public Review_July 2024
Posted: September 27th, 2024